


Going For The Gold

by cindergal



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M, Schmoop, Skinny Dipping, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 07:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14996273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cindergal/pseuds/cindergal
Summary: Written for the LuRe Bingo prompt Skinny Dipping.  Inspired by hot summer nights and the Olympics.





	Going For The Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Importing some of my older fic from LJ. Originally posted there 8/2/2012.

The Snyder pond is so fraught with memories for Luke - Noah memories - that he's avoided taking Reid there up till now. There are some good ones, sure, but even those are tainted by that first one; laughter, desire, anticipation – and then the humiliation of Maddie’s arrival. How Noah had kissed her deeply, right in front of him. Every time he swam at the pond with Noah after that, no matter how much fun they had, he couldn’t help but remember that night.

But Reid is not Noah, as he makes terribly obvious every single day, and maybe it’s time to make some new memories. It’s August in the Midwest, and that means heat and humidity. Their building’s AC is on the fritz, and they’ve already gone to the mall and a movie just to get out of the sweltering temperatures. It's eleven p.m. now and still 96 degrees, and as they walk out of the theater, the air is so thick its like walking into a sauna.

Reid groans. "God, I hate Illinois."

"Uh, I believe Texas is rather warm, too," Luke points out.

Reid gives him that small, secret smile of his that always makes Luke's stomach flip over. "But it's a dry heat."

Luke laughs and bumps Reid’s shoulder with his own. “No, it’s not.” He tangles his fingers with Reid's, even though it's really too hot to be touching anybody, and the answering squeeze of Reid’s hand gives him the confidence to say, "Come on. Let's go swimming."

***

Reid stares at the pond dubiously.

"What's the matter? You _can_ swim, can't you?" Luke teases.

"Of course. In a pool. With a filtration system. That's heavily chlorinated. There might be...things... in there."

Luke steps behind him and puts his hands around Reid's waist. "Don't be scared. I'll protect you," he whispers teasingly into his ear. He takes Reid's earlobe between his teeth and bites gently, and Reid shivers involuntarily. He clears his throat.

"I'm not that easily swayed, Mr. Snyder. I'm afraid I'm still not convinced that this is a wise..." he begins, turning and reaching out for Luke.

Luke steps just out of reach, laughing, and strips off his clothes. He runs in, diving under the surface before standing up, hip deep in the pond, shaking water from his hair. "How's this for incentive?" he asks.

Reid just stares at him hungrily for a moment, his bold gaze making Luke shiver in the heat. It’s been almost a year since they first got together, and sometimes Luke still feels like it was yesterday.

"Yup," he says, tearing off his own clothes and diving in after Luke. "That'll do."

Luke laughs as Reid pops up in front of him, pushing his hair off his face.

“You don’t play fair, Mr. Snyder,” he says, his voice low and gravelly. “You know what seeing you all wet does to me.” He puts his hands on Luke’s hips and tugs him closer.

“I do,” Luke admits with a grin. “And who said anything about playing fair?”

Luke does indeed know what seeing him wet does to Reid. He’s been late to work enough times because of it. Then again, seeing Luke dry is a big turn on for Reid, too. As is Luke all sweaty after a workout, or first thing in the morning before he’s even brushed his teeth. Reid wants Luke pretty much all the time, any way he can get him, and for Luke, this has been a revelation.

“Are you _sure_ you can swim?” Luke teases.

Reid shrugs. “I can doggy paddle,” he says, leaning in to graze his lips across Luke’s. “What did you have in mind?”

It takes a lot of effort, but Luke pushes himself away from Reid with a grin. “I’ll race you! To the rock!” he says, pointing to the large rock that juts up in the middle of the pond and taking off before Reid has a chance to answer him.

But the joke’s on him, as Reid passes him easily within a few seconds, cutting across the surface of the water with the clean, precise strokes of a competitive swimmer. Luke is laughing when he finally catches up, looping his arms around Reid’s neck.

"Hustled again! Let me guess. Captain of the swim team? Olympic gold medalist?"

"Nah," Reid says. "Just spent a lot of time at the Y when I was a kid. Once I stopped playing chess, Angus didn’t know what else to do with me.”

Luke’s heart clenches in his chest, like it does every time Reid reveals one of these little details of his life to him. He knows how hard it is for Reid to talk about his past, how painful, and that Reid trusts him with this is a gift.

“Reid…”

“But I do believe that my record in the 400 meter freestyle at the Greenpoint YMCA in Brooklyn, NY still stands to this very day.”

Luke shakes his head. “You really are good at everything, aren’t you? What the heck are you doing with me, anyway?” He’s smiling, but a part of him will always be asking that question.

Reid shakes some water out of his hair, and Luke can’t help staring at the droplets that run across his skin, over his freckled shoulders and down his muscled chest. Reid thumbs Luke’s chin, raising it so he can look into his eyes. "Because Luke, you have much more important titles under your belt."

Luke snorts. "Like what?"

“Let’s see. Son, brother, friend, _boyfriend_ , business man, philanthropist - I think you’ve medaled in all those events. And that, my friend, wins out over my 400 meter freestyle any day of the week."

Hands against Luke's chest, he pushes off and does a perfect backstroke across the pond. "But I will always be better at cerebral decompression than you!" he yells.

Luke is still treading water, a big, stupid smile on his face. "I accept that," he says.

“Catch me if you can, Mr. Snyder! There’s another event I’m certain we _both_ excel at. But this is definitely a pairs event.”

Luke will catch him, all right. And when he does, he’s never letting go.


End file.
